The fish died overnight Saturday, providing a funky situation for nearby residents.

High bacterial levels

"There were quite a few fish that were dead, and a whole lot on the bottom that hadn't surfaced yet," said Mitchell, who is assigned to the parks and wildlife department's Kills and Spills Team. He said dead fish at the bottom of the lake will likely surface over the next few days.

While no recreational or fishing warnings have been issued, signs have been erected at the lake advising people not to swim or to eat fish caught there, said Elizabeth Rogers, spokeswoman for the city of Galveston. The signs also warn of high bacterial levels in the lake.

Low oxygen levels have plagued the lake in recent years, killing off fish by the thousands, most recently last year.

Feeds Offatts Bayou

The lake feeds into Offatts Bayou, which joins West Bay near Teichman Point. The Colonel, an 800-passenger replica of a 19th-century paddlewheel boat, operates on the bayou.